The Tech Reckoning: Who Shapes the Next Economy? with Thomas Lingard
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This episode looks at the power shifts created by AI and digital systems - asks where real agency still lies.
Hosts Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn sit down with Thomas Lingard, who previously founded Unilever’s Global Advocacy team to influence international public policy on sustainable development and who now heads the Centre for Future Generations, to explore where the real opportunity and agency exist to ensure that emerging technologies are used in the best interest of humanity.
The discussion probes how digital power is concentrating, why regulatory systems are struggling to keep pace, and what it would take to steer emerging technologies toward societal benefit rather than narrow commercial gain. Thomas highlights the leadership capacities that now matter most: ethical judgement, systems intelligence, and the confidence to question deterministic narratives about technology.
The episode asks a central question: how do we build an economy where technology strengthens society - and who has the responsibility and agency to shape that path?
In partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and Investec.
Key Quote:
“Leadership in this space needs to include a capacity for imagination — the humility to accept we don’t know what the future will be, and the courage not to give in to deterministic narratives.” — Thomas Lingard
Key Takeaways
1. AI’s trajectory is not inevitable: The future of AI isn’t fixed - and treating it as inevitable is itself dangerous. Leaders need the mindset and imagination to challenge “it’s just going to happen” narratives.
2. Governance capacity is not the critical gap: AI is advancing faster than our institutions, policies and public understanding. Leaders must invest in the skills, insight and oversight needed to make informed decisions in an environment of rapid technological change.
3. Concentration of power is the real near-term risk: Before any long-term speculation, AI is already deepening inequality, reinforcing information disorder and centralising control in a small number of companies.
4. Europe can lead by aligning innovation with values: Europe’s advantage lies in combining innovation with strong public-purpose governance. Europe can shape a model that protects democratic agency while enabling technological capability - but only if it chooses to design for that future
Credits
Presented by:
Lindsay Hooper, Chief Executive, CISL
Marc Kahn, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Investec
Produced by:
Carl Homer (Cambridge TV) & Alexa Sellwood
Executive Producer: Gillian Secrett
In partnership with: Investec
Listen and Subscribe:
Available on all major podcast platforms. Visit the Leadership Hub on the CISL website or Investec Focus for more episodes and insights.
Disclaimer:
The views in this podcast are those of the contributors, and don’t necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or Investec, and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation.
Hosts Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn sit down with Thomas Lingard, who previously founded Unilever’s Global Advocacy team to influence international public policy on sustainable development and who now heads the Centre for Future Generations, to explore where the real opportunity and agency exist to ensure that emerging technologies are used in the best interest of humanity.
The discussion probes how digital power is concentrating, why regulatory systems are struggling to keep pace, and what it would take to steer emerging technologies toward societal benefit rather than narrow commercial gain. Thomas highlights the leadership capacities that now matter most: ethical judgement, systems intelligence, and the confidence to question deterministic narratives about technology.
The episode asks a central question: how do we build an economy where technology strengthens society - and who has the responsibility and agency to shape that path?
In partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and Investec.
Key Quote:
“Leadership in this space needs to include a capacity for imagination — the humility to accept we don’t know what the future will be, and the courage not to give in to deterministic narratives.” — Thomas Lingard
Key Takeaways
1. AI’s trajectory is not inevitable: The future of AI isn’t fixed - and treating it as inevitable is itself dangerous. Leaders need the mindset and imagination to challenge “it’s just going to happen” narratives.
2. Governance capacity is not the critical gap: AI is advancing faster than our institutions, policies and public understanding. Leaders must invest in the skills, insight and oversight needed to make informed decisions in an environment of rapid technological change.
3. Concentration of power is the real near-term risk: Before any long-term speculation, AI is already deepening inequality, reinforcing information disorder and centralising control in a small number of companies.
4. Europe can lead by aligning innovation with values: Europe’s advantage lies in combining innovation with strong public-purpose governance. Europe can shape a model that protects democratic agency while enabling technological capability - but only if it chooses to design for that future
Credits
Presented by:
Lindsay Hooper, Chief Executive, CISL
Marc Kahn, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Investec
Produced by:
Carl Homer (Cambridge TV) & Alexa Sellwood
Executive Producer: Gillian Secrett
In partnership with: Investec
Listen and Subscribe:
Available on all major podcast platforms. Visit the Leadership Hub on the CISL website or Investec Focus for more episodes and insights.
Disclaimer:
The views in this podcast are those of the contributors, and don’t necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or Investec, and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation.
Chapters
- 00:00 From Sustainability to Tech Governance: Thomas’s strategic shift
- 04:30 Governing Technology at Exponential Speed
- 09:20 Four Futures for AI: Concentration, Slowdowns, Arms Race and Diplomacy
- 14:40 The Near Term Risks: Inequality, Information Disorder , and Power Asymmetry
- 20:10 Leadership Mindsets: Agency, Imagination and the “One-Way Door” Problem
